is quite flat, I’m not sure how that would be a problem. Your high beams do work, do they not?”
“Yes. And while I agree we don’t have moose, I assure you a large deer can pretty well wipe out this car.”
“Then perhaps you should slow down so the wildlife has a chance to see and avoid you.”
She waved at the crop fields on both sides of the road. “I can see any deer coming easily enough here.”
He sighed and said no more until she turned off Highway 52 and slowed down considerably as she headed into the hills.
“Thank you,” he muttered.
“Oh, I’ll be slowing down to a crawl before we get home. Grams will no doubt be worried sick. I should have called her once I got you in the car, but I just wanted to get moving.”
He cursed softly as she took the first of a thousand hairpin curves as fast as she dared.
“It gets worse,” she warned.
“You could take them slower.”
“Not if you want to make it home.”
“Preferably alive,” he muttered.
“Hey, we agree on something,” she teased.
The dimmer the light became, the slower she dropped her speed.
Dr. Castile rolled down his window, evidently thinking it would improve his vision.
“Roll your window back up, please.”
“Why?”
“I had a bear stick his head in the window before. Kind of disturbing when I’m trying to drive.”
“There are no bears in Iowa. I looked it up.”
“Yeah? Did you happen to notice all the videos of those non-existent bears that people around Iowa have up on the web?”
He paused and then rolled up the window.
She smiled. “Thank you. I know you probably think it’s a ridiculous worry, but every time I’ve taken this road near dusk, I’ve come upon Grumpy Bear. It gets chilly at night, and the road is warmer than the ground, so he prefers to sleep on the road.”
“While this car couldn’t frighten a bear, won’t the other cars scare it off?” Dr. Castile asked.
“Believe me, we’ll be the only car on this road for the rest of the night. Locals try to get home by four. That gives someone time to rescue them before it gets dark.”
He smiled. “You don’t have vampires out here by any chance?”
She chuckled. “Worse.”
“And what’s worse?”
“Things that eat your car. Potholes, washouts, bears, and deer.”
As if to prove the point, Tess slammed on her brake as three deer crossed before them.
“Bloody Hell! I see what you mean.”
“Just wait. I’ve been dodging the potholes, but pretty soon I won’t be able to see them.”
As night settled in, the darkness overpowered her high beams.
“Crap.” Dr. Castile leaned forward, squinting into the darkness before him.
“I’d lean back if I were you. I might be coming to a halt any time without warning.”
To her amazement, he did as she asked. Maybe he wasn’t un-trainable after all.
As they took a hairpin curve, weaving about to dodge potholes, he asked, “What happens if a car comes down the hill on one of these curves.”
“We’d crash, but hopefully at a very slow speed. But there’s almost no possibility of anyone being on this road beside us. I’m sorry. I should have gotten us rooms in Dubuque, only I wanted you to see the sunrise in the morning. It’s quite beautiful.”
“Well, if we’re alive come morning, I look forward to seeing it. And honestly, had you suggested we stay in a hotel, I would have objected.”
“Why?”
“It wouldn’t be appropriate. We’re going to be working together.”
Just then, the right front wheel slammed into a deep pot hole.
“If we survive the ride up,” he added.
She was about to ask how it would look worse than him staying as her guest but remembered her grams. And the fact no one would know he’d been there.
While creeping along the last curve before they made it home, she slammed on the brakes. The blackness ahead looked wrong in her headlights.
“Why have you stopped?” he asked.
“Our non-existent bear is in our way.”
When the bear didn’t
“Yes. And while I agree we don’t have moose, I assure you a large deer can pretty well wipe out this car.”
“Then perhaps you should slow down so the wildlife has a chance to see and avoid you.”
She waved at the crop fields on both sides of the road. “I can see any deer coming easily enough here.”
He sighed and said no more until she turned off Highway 52 and slowed down considerably as she headed into the hills.
“Thank you,” he muttered.
“Oh, I’ll be slowing down to a crawl before we get home. Grams will no doubt be worried sick. I should have called her once I got you in the car, but I just wanted to get moving.”
He cursed softly as she took the first of a thousand hairpin curves as fast as she dared.
“It gets worse,” she warned.
“You could take them slower.”
“Not if you want to make it home.”
“Preferably alive,” he muttered.
“Hey, we agree on something,” she teased.
The dimmer the light became, the slower she dropped her speed.
Dr. Castile rolled down his window, evidently thinking it would improve his vision.
“Roll your window back up, please.”
“Why?”
“I had a bear stick his head in the window before. Kind of disturbing when I’m trying to drive.”
“There are no bears in Iowa. I looked it up.”
“Yeah? Did you happen to notice all the videos of those non-existent bears that people around Iowa have up on the web?”
He paused and then rolled up the window.
She smiled. “Thank you. I know you probably think it’s a ridiculous worry, but every time I’ve taken this road near dusk, I’ve come upon Grumpy Bear. It gets chilly at night, and the road is warmer than the ground, so he prefers to sleep on the road.”
“While this car couldn’t frighten a bear, won’t the other cars scare it off?” Dr. Castile asked.
“Believe me, we’ll be the only car on this road for the rest of the night. Locals try to get home by four. That gives someone time to rescue them before it gets dark.”
He smiled. “You don’t have vampires out here by any chance?”
She chuckled. “Worse.”
“And what’s worse?”
“Things that eat your car. Potholes, washouts, bears, and deer.”
As if to prove the point, Tess slammed on her brake as three deer crossed before them.
“Bloody Hell! I see what you mean.”
“Just wait. I’ve been dodging the potholes, but pretty soon I won’t be able to see them.”
As night settled in, the darkness overpowered her high beams.
“Crap.” Dr. Castile leaned forward, squinting into the darkness before him.
“I’d lean back if I were you. I might be coming to a halt any time without warning.”
To her amazement, he did as she asked. Maybe he wasn’t un-trainable after all.
As they took a hairpin curve, weaving about to dodge potholes, he asked, “What happens if a car comes down the hill on one of these curves.”
“We’d crash, but hopefully at a very slow speed. But there’s almost no possibility of anyone being on this road beside us. I’m sorry. I should have gotten us rooms in Dubuque, only I wanted you to see the sunrise in the morning. It’s quite beautiful.”
“Well, if we’re alive come morning, I look forward to seeing it. And honestly, had you suggested we stay in a hotel, I would have objected.”
“Why?”
“It wouldn’t be appropriate. We’re going to be working together.”
Just then, the right front wheel slammed into a deep pot hole.
“If we survive the ride up,” he added.
She was about to ask how it would look worse than him staying as her guest but remembered her grams. And the fact no one would know he’d been there.
While creeping along the last curve before they made it home, she slammed on the brakes. The blackness ahead looked wrong in her headlights.
“Why have you stopped?” he asked.
“Our non-existent bear is in our way.”
When the bear didn’t
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